This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. RESEARCH DESIGN AND BIOSTATISTICS FUNCTION APPLICATION OVERVIEW The Accelerating eXcellence In translational Science (AXIS) will be the catalyst to implement the CDU Research Strategic Plan and will become the integrated home for clinical and translational research. The structure of the CDU AXIS includes an innovative and proactive governance structure, the AXIS Concierge Desk, and nine key functions/activities. The Concierge Desk (clinical and translational research infrastructure) will be a physical and virtual (Web site) hub that will bring all research services together by providing consultation, training and education, and community engagement resources offered throughout the functions. The Collaborations and Partnerships Function will provide resources, locations, research, and other activities that will draw community and academia together to explore cross communication and partnerships. The Multidisciplinary Training and Career Development Function will streamline and centralize all faculty development activities across the University. The Community Engagement and Research Function is a formal mechanism to organize community resources and integrate community into the educational process at CDU in order to bring community expertise to interdisciplinary research teams. The Research Design and Biostatistics Function will provide consultation and training activities in research design and biostatistics. The Participant and Clinical Interactions Resources Function will integrate a system to make resources and expertise in design and biostatistics more readily available across the University to support investigators engaged in translational research and will represent an upgrade in functionality of the Clinical Research Center. The Regulatory Knowledge, Ethics, and Support Function will provide direct support, assistance, and consultation to research facilitators and researchers;share best practices;and develop innovative programs. The Biomedical Informatics Function proposes to enhance and expand the support services, making them available to all investigators and faculty across all disciplines to boost the effectiveness of implementation of knowledge into medical policy and practice. The Technology and Resources for Core Laboratories Function proposes to realign the support services and resources for investigators across all CDU disciplines and among collaborating institutions in an effort to enhance the quality of science. The Pilot Project Program describes the plan to solicit proposals, prioritize projects, and review methodologies and research performance. A SPECIFIC AIMS The overarching goal of the proposed Research Design and Biostatistics Function (Design and Biostats Function) is to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research and apply novel research strategies to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations and underserved communities. The Function supports and facilitates the development and implementation of methodologically sound and culturally appropriated biomedical investigations at the University aimed at the reduction of health disparities. Researchers from five disciplines (epidemiology, biostatistics, health services research, sociology, and medicine) bring a diversity of investigative methods and conceptual frameworks to collaborative scholarship on the health and well-being of the diverse communities. Many of the chronic diseases that are so prevalent in South Los Angeles and the local CDU community are also pressing health concerns for the nation. The Design and Biostats Function will be a catalyst for translational research approaches among AXIS functions, community partners, and other health scientists at the University and across partnering institutions. In addition to the traditional research design and biostatistical support currently provided for clinical and translational investigators by the university in collaboration with RTRN, the following specific aims are being proposed to expand the research infrastructure at the University for accelerating strategies to reduce health disparities: Specific Aim 1: To provide comprehensive consultation and education/training in clinical and translational research methods and biostatistics to University researchers made available through the Concierge Desk. Specific Aim 2: To enhance the institutional capacity to perform parallel secondary database research.